Camping and many similar outdoor activities inevitably involve the task of cooking over an open fire. Unless a grate is provided over the fire pit, this task can become tricky and often reduces the menu to items which can be speared with a stick and held over the fire.
Solutions presently available in stores comprise little more than a rectangular, stainless steel cage with a handle. The items to be cooked are placed in the cage, and the cage is closed and held by hand over the fire. This not only creates extreme fatigue, as the chef must perform lengthy isometric exercises in order to keep the food in proper position over the fire, it requires the chef remain in close proximity to the fire.
There have been attempted solutions to this problem which have been patented but have never enjoyed success in the marketplace for various reasons. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,935,982, which issued to Otis on May 10, 1960, discloses two vertical support members and a horizontal support member, all of which are made from a heavy metal wire material. The device described therein is impractical in that it does not provide the necessary flexibility required by proper cooking techniques. For example, once set up, the device does not allow the chef to relocate the food over a different portion of the campfire. Nor does it allow the chef to back away from the campfire in order to avoid the heat from a growing fire or a change in winds. Also, the flimsy wire material would have a propensity to bend and wobble if used for cooking a heavy food item such as a large steak. Finally, the device does not allow the chef to flip the food over without getting close to the fire.
It would be advantageous to provide an open fire cooking apparatus which is solid, strong, and has the functional flexibility to allow the chef to reposition the food, and him or herself, while the food is being prepared.